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solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you? now, "bbc world news america." >> this is "bbc world news fromca" reporting washington. a failed rescue mission and a ransom demand. details emerge of attempts to journalist,rican james foley. defeatat will it take to the islamic state now? we're on front lines with iraqi forces who are in the thick of battle. and calling it a miraculous day. his colleagueand infected with ebola are released from hospital and declared free virus.

welcome to our viewers on public television in america and around the globe. the u.s. defense secretary the threat posed by the islamic state as beyond anything we have seen. he was speaking as details emerge about the murder of american journalist james foley by militants. we begin with this report from the bbc's international correspondent. hunt is on for the man who murdered james foley. every detail of the gruesome of his killing will be scoured for clues, with the mi-5 and others leading the search. james foley was an experienced front-line reporter. this is some of the footage he shot. he'd worked in libya, iraq and syria. he captured wasn't just the heat of battle, but those humanity as often run

through the most hostile of environments. children anden and makeshift bomb shelters. james foley was taken by held for syria and almost two years. ransom,ures demanded a sending an angry email last week saying he'd be killed unless were paid $18 million pounds. these prisoners were released after a ransom was made. american, it was more targeted by the kidnappers. of scapegoat.nd many countries do negotiate. what do they negotiate, i don't know. i don't know if it is money. i don't know if it is prisoner exchange and some countries like america that also like the u.k. do not negotiate. month, president obama

ordered troops like these to try to rescue james foley and other hostages. sources say the commandos attacked an oil facility held by islamic state inside syria but the intelligence was flawed hostages weren't there. >> was this a failure of intelligence? no. is, as you all know, intelligence doesn't come a package with a bow. it is a mosaic of many pictures, of many factors. a say.my always has >> the hunt for james foley's killer is likely to be centered on the islamic state's stronghold in syria. after capturing weapons and iraq, the militants are stronger than ever before. most foreign hostages are be held in eastern syria. includesay captors three british guards who beat them often. at least 20 others are thought held including another

u.s. reporter. 500 british jihadists are believed to be fighting in syria, one is probably james foley's killer. identifying him seems possible. finding and bringing him to justice may not be. >> despite threats by the anotherstate to kill american hostage, there were more air strikes by the u.s. military today. also forces have reportedly attacked extremists anbar province. back.s time to fight the iraqi army in full retreat ago, now taking on the islamic state, with maximum firepower. while the world focuses on the brutal killing of journalist foley, these special

tikrit are facing isis fighters with fresh determination. come easy.l not the front line is hardening. kurdishmeet the their enemyo fought to a standstill. theeters over the bridge, black flag of the islamic state and everything it stands for. howstaggering thing is close the front lines are. we've clearly seen movement just on the other side but the fighters here say they're determined to protect their protect their homes. several attacks have been repelled and their commander says troops are ready to give lives butd and their they need help. >>

we are asking the international community and european countries for weapons. our enemy has sophisticated weapons. but we needd better. in kirkuk, there is no panic. people haveinating their -- whoh in their fighting men defend the city. the governor told me he's confident the islamic state will be defeated. >> it's a dangerous enemy. of iraq only the enemy syria, it's the enemy that world.anywhere in this >> it may be a global issue but if -- for now, the future of the islamic state will be determined the battle lines of syria and iraq. battlemore on the against the islamic state, i former deputy director of the c.i.a.

thank you very much for coming in. chuck hagely described the threat posed by the islamic state as beyond anything we have seen. do you think that's right? >> absolutely, yes. i think we've seen a lot of but as i've said recently this is one that exceeds what we've faced from al qaeda at the time of date -- this group has things al qaeda did not have in the same measure. they've got territory, a lot of it, 400 and some miles. they've got allied. access because they've got so many western fighters including americans and they have motive and they have money so when you of that up, it's vastly beyond al qaeda. momenteem to face a today where because of the awful execution of james foley, washington's attention, is now's attention sharply focused on this threat. >> this is very important. important here.

one of the things, i think we have to think about here is people talk about us being war weary. we're justifiably tired of war the mostis thing that's happened in decades and it's we need tos and agree. america and the west understand just how serious the threat the islamic state pose? >> i don't think we're there yet. i certainly was heartened by the president's seriousness yesterday in his press conference. but i think this is something that exceeds anything we've dealt with before. a combination, interestingly, of both an unconventional threat as atrator also a conventional

threat. the fact that they hold territory, you can think about strikes that target structure. usually a terrorist group territory.d they're moving about. this is a serious threat and i butk we're getting there not quite there yet. >> other thing that struck me the pentagon press conference was the references to syria. dempsey.general >> we've got to go to syria. >> saying you cannot deal with the islamic state without with the organization in syria. what's going to happen? their saferia is saven and one of their rules terrorism, you have to destroy the leadership haven.y safe >> will there be american syria soon?nst >> i think it's possible to strike in syria. simply tell assad, privately, secretly, over the bet two weeks we're going to

doing work against isis in your country, just to let you know. smart enough to figure out that if he combats us with take it out.we'll if he's also smart enough, he'll realize that isis is also his enemy. this is one of the contradictions, one of the things we have to get over is there are a lot of contradictions here. we may need iranian help before this is over. may have to tolerate syria, that's not to say support assad, have to do what i said and get to him later. toa strategy, you have establish priorities. right now, our priority needs to be to deal with isis. much foryou very coming in. >> pleasure. >> the latest battles are happening of course against the backdrop of a grim anniversary. it was one year ago today that carrying the deadly nerve agent sarin were fired the suburb of the syrian

capital, damascus. the government of bashar assad out theed of carrying attack. our correspondent has this assessment of the events of the past year to today. are disturbing images. years inee horrific syria, no single incident has been worse than the chemical and injuredkilled so many people in the rebel held of damascus a year ago. the rebels blame the assad regime. charge.ied the the americans have threatened massle and specified if casualties were infected by chemical weapons. when all these people were killed, u.s. military action against the assad regime looked certain. in damascus at that time, supporters of president assad

were volunteering for militias what the anxiety about americans might do. the war seemed to be at a turning point. in britain, parliament was recalled and voted against joining the americans in bombing syria. it was a big factor in america's cancel the air strikes at the last minute. >> i think the policy that the american government followed on syria even before the chemical attacks was tentative and -- indecisive and i think it sent a signal that we not prepared to re-engage in this region. >> for president assad's supporters, volunteering as as targets in

damascus, the deal looked good. recovered its nerve. it believed the americans have blinked first. full of what-ifs. a major reason why there's been military western intervention in the syrian war has been fear of the consequences. into at getting sucked political and military mir -- morass but actively making matters worse, not better. americans hade bombed assad's men. it would not have ended the war it might have changed the balance of power. catalysthave been the for more american support for syrian insurgents who were also opposed to the jihadist group that was then called isis. what syrianinly fighters who are hoping for more believe.upport if america's strikes had

happened, the regime wouldn't strengthened, islamic state wouldn't have strengthened. strikes didn't happen, the state has defied the regime. >> the conflict has evolved into of overlapping civil wars. you can see it inia, letta where this summer. >> the syrian government fights insurgents, sometimes the insurgents fight each other. rebranded as islamic state, came into syria from iraq al qaeda offshoot. it has fought the anti-regime thees more than it's fought syrian regime itself. the right of isis in syria stormt a launch pad to back into iraq and capture large of american weaponry

from the iraqi army. iraqi security forces were strengthening positions on the edge of baghdad in july against advance.ic state i.s. has exploited the anger of at the way furious have monopalized power. isis or anyot fight other terrorism as long as we haven't received our rights and fight terrorism or what is known as isis as long as the government has not stood up militias.st shia >> the southwest deeply involved in the crisis even though it would prefer to stay out. britain's delivery of intoitarian aid could turn

a deeper military row, perhaps the several thousand british and european men who i.s. for in damascus this morning, families displaced by three years of fighting were going home after a local truce in their suburb between the regime rebels. claims arian regime capital, it hopes for a tattered with the u.s., britain and france against the islamic aate, which would be remarkable turnaround for assad.nt to where we are today. program,come on this is mcdonald's caught in souring relations between russia and the rest? we'll tell you why some moscow locations are closed for business.

the number of people missing in landslides in japan is believed to be higher than originally thought. the official death toll stands there are dozens still unaccounted for. winfield rupert win hayes has the story. rescue teams went from house to shattered house this morning, hoping that the number of dead from the disaster would not go higher but it seems many more are buried under the mud thisock that overwhelmed neighborhood on the northern -- hiroshima city. this man says his family's is buried under rubble and he's waiting for them to be rescued. aliveof finding people under all this is rapidly fading. the huge have told how

mudslide came roaring down the the middle of the night, killing many as they slept. "i was sleeping where that large rock is now," says this woman. people here are starting to ask whether this destruction was a or, in part, at least, man-made. hiroshimains around are known tour -- to be unstable yet housing was built up to their base. "the mountains nearby are mainly made of granite. just one meter down, it's gravel and landslides are likely occur whenever there is heavy rain." one rescuer has been killed by upsetting the landslide. there is more heavy rain, this have to be called off.

thrilled to be alive. that was the happy reaction of brantly as he left an atlanta hospital having been ebolae was free of the virus. brantly and his colleague contracted the disease in liberia and were brought to the u.s. for treatment. experimental an serum known as zmapp. 1300 deathseen over from ebola in west africa so far this year. vanoke with dr. alexander vantolken. do we know what was successful in the case of the american doctors? it's possible that the zmapp made some difference but probably the main thing is the got high quality

healthcare both in africa and emery hospital. is usually a disease we treat in quite rough field hospitals, in sub saharan africa you bring people with ebola to a modern hospital, they do better. tois it going to be possible find out the extent that the zmapp did help? number ofthese patients. the number of people you need to a trial on is in the hundreds or thousands. >> given that the conditions are africa, whatwest lessons are there for african countries struggling with ebola? when we talk about the drugs and the vaccines, these are when we'red herrings thinking about this epidemic. the most important way of controlling this epidemic will through old fashioned public health measures so finding theme early and treating

and isolating them and contact tracing, look for people who peopleen in contact with with ebola or corpses who have died of ebola and isolating them quarantine measures. >> the level of care as you've suggested they've received at emery, even that is not really possible to replicate, is it, in hospitals in west africa? >> this is what's so important to understand about the difference between west africa and the western modern industrialized world. the poorestree of countries in the world. their health systems are absolutely dissimilar to ourselves in every way -- under-staffed, as wellic is not educated and now the ebola epidemic is taking other away from hospitals. most epidemic is not the fatal disease in africa --

malaria, h.i.v -- these will kill more people. muche you suggesting too attention and resources are focused on ebola? >> absolutely not. really important this virus is contained in west africa. of anreally is no danger ebola epidemic in london or new city.r in a major western it's not the right kind of virus to spread that way. enough, it'sagious too easy to identify. we have to control it in west africa because it's a humanitarian crisis and it reflects our inability to we can'tiruses and if control ebola, we'll be in trouble dealing with the flu. >> thanks very much for joining us. treating ebola in america and in africa, of course, very different cases. it looks like the big mac has become a victim of global politics. tension between russia and the u.s. has grown in the past few months and several branches of mcdonald's in moscow have been closed. officially it's because of health infringements but

critics of the kremlin suspect something else is going on as steve rosenburg reports. scare in --ushkin square in the heart of moscow and i remember the day, 25 years ago, when russia's first mcdonald's opened its door in the ussr. i was studying here at the time came here to join the queue. the crowds were incredible. wayqueue went all the around pushkin square. it took me three hours to get and be served, such was the level of excitement that burst throughrs the iron curtain and were served in music. moscow. today it was shot. foot inspectors ordered three of mcdonald's restaurants to be temporarily closed citing violations. similar story.

centerstage are russian products banned imports of meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables from america and the to., the kremlin's response western sanctions. ovites?kow i prefer soup and russian dumplings to fast food. >> this is 99% politics. we did find someone at mcdonald's today, this cow for a russian fast-food chain. at least someone's happy. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. >> that brings the program to a close. you can find out all of the day's news, all of the latest on james foley and what's happening state on ourmic

website. thanks very much for watching. >> funding of this presentation possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own profitson, giving off to charity and pursuing the years.good for over 30 kovler foundation and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in. working to nurture new ventures

keyhelp provide capital for strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? news" wasrld presented by kcet los angeles. ez today on "this old house," we'll see our house primed

and then painted with its final colors. we'll show you the incredible damage that hail can do to a house. kevin: in this chamber, they can actually do those tests on full-scale houses. and we'll show you all the things we're doing to keep our basement dry. tom: it looks pretty bad right here. kevin: are you kidding me? norm: is this place really worth saving? richard: we can do better than this. roger: time to get to work. tom: nice and easy, everybody together. roger: the right plant in the right place. richard: it's state-of-the-art. norm: perfectly square. roger: all in all, a good day's work. kevin: and also, on "ask this old house"... this garden faucet is perfect, except it leaks and it's about eight feet upup in the air. -i can barely reach it! -how do you turn it off and on? i have to go use a stool over here and i have to line it up. i have to hoist myself up and brace myself on the wall...